I prefer using this on my iPad rather than on my smartphone because it is a bit easier to navigate and the picture resolution is so terrific. But the iPhone works well too. Unfortunately, it’s not built for Android.

The app really is terrific, but it takes a little bit of time– (under 5 minutes) — to learn your way around it. So have patience and take the tour after you download it. Even though your first inclination is just to try it out, resist the urge, and take the tour. It’s short and it’s worth it. (I know, because I didn’t do it first).

Here’s where to find the app tour

The tour button is located inside of the Settings feature which is found in the Menu section on the iPhone (behind the icon of the â‰¡ icon). On the iPad, the tour button is behind the settings wheel gear icon.

Get familiar with the icons at the top of the home screen. They are a little bit different than we’re used to, but very helpful. The icons display:

The Daily Schedule and Results

The Medal Table

Olympic Records

Now that you have the basics, you’re ready to roll.

You can tap pictures of the day’s contests organized by sporting event and time of day (morning, afternoon and evening) of the competitions. You can see photos, results, other people’s tweets, the Reuters reporters’ blogs, and myriad facts galore.

Don’t fret about missed events; they are all there in a roundup by date.

There are other Olympic apps you will love. For those just interested in being the “first to know” in the medal race, download the Get Your Flag Out app from the iTunes store. This app sends you a text every time an athlete from the country you pre-selected wins a medal. It also keeps a running tab of all the medals, by category, of your country’s athletes. You can even have the app play the Star Spangled Banner while reviewing the winners. It also lets you share the victory with your friends through Facebook or Twitter, so you can be on the cutting edge of Olympics chatter.

And for Olympics lovers on Android, the reviews I’ve seen are giving the top spot to the London 2012 Results app. It’s the official app of the Olympics.

The apps don’t replace the thrill of watching your fellow countrymen and women complete for the medals, but they give you a lot of background information and photos which may not be easily accessible.

Sure, some people are griping about social media “ruining” it by posting the completion results in real time when there is a time delay between the U.S. and London. But that’s just how communication is today. And we’d be griping if we didn’t have the apps, so it’s a toss-up on who wins that debate.

Photo of Tower Bridge in London decked out for the Olympics from Flickr user ReeSaunders, taken this morning.